Episode 2: understanding underemployment
Which degrees are most likely to lead to a living wage?
What kinds of jobs offer living wages that keep folks in Hawaiʻi?
…AND What degrees lead to those jobs?
Hawaiʻi is a national outlier when it comes to expected earnings after graduation. We also know that the state has the highest underemployment rate in the country — with only 43% of four-year college graduates working in a degree-requiring job within five years. This episode explores what we know about the connections between higher education, living wage jobs, and staying in Hawaiʻi — and the data gaps we need to fill to understand more. Episode 2 focuses on University of Hawai’i data because public universities have data available on wage outcomes. But Hawaiʻi’s underemployment challenge isn’t about one institution — it’s systemic.
Interactive insights:
Explore the data
1. What earning outcomes do UH graduates see in the years after graduation?
The good news - UH graduates earn more money over time.
The bad news - No UH four-year degree has a median first-year wage above the living wage threshold.
User Tips
Use the “Years Since Graduation” slider to see how wages evolve over time
Click on the dots to reveal info on specific four-year programs across the UH system.
2. Who stays in hawai’i after graduating?
Spoiler alert - Higher earnings don’t necessarily mean grads will stay, and lower earnings don’t necessarily mean they’ll leave.
User Tips
Use “Wage Percentile” to zoom in on different wage brackets.
Click on the dots for reveal info on specific four-year programs across the UH system.
3. what degrees lead to living wages in Hawai’i?
Engineering and healthcare
According to the data, if you want to stay in Hawai’i and earn a living wage engineering and healthcare are the way to go. With an average annual salary of $109K five years after graduation and a shortage of nurses that leads to local hospitals hiring traveling nurses from the continent, a degree in nursing is a solid investment for students in Hawai’i. And if you’re interested in being a teacher, as many local students are, a degree in Special Education can earn you a little extra.
User Tips
High Wage / High Retention - Degrees that lead to jobs that pay well and keep grads in Hawai’i
High Wage / Low Retention - Degrees that lead to jobs that pay well, but don’t keep grads in Hawai’i
Low Wage / High Retention - Degrees that lead to jobs that don’t pay a living wage, but keep grads in Hawai’i
Low Wage / Low Retention - Degrees that lead to jobs that don’t pay a living wage and don’t keep grads in Hawai’i
Hover over the dots for reveal info on specific four-year programs across the UH system.
Curious about the 10 year outlook for uh grads?
want to see the breakdown by UH campus?
Explore more data visualizations and in-depth analysis with the full version of Episode 2.